And a lot less funny. But this is it.And it will come down at midnight, Irish time, on the 22nd [December 2012]..."Somewhere in the distance, a train rattled on its tracks. Liam sat in his kitchen with the curtains drawn, the lamp on the table casting its searing eye over his handiwork. It was the size of a shoebox, and wooden. Heavy. Inside were things he did not, could not, understand. There were gears and levers and finely balanced cogs and symbols painstakingly etched into it all. He didn’t know what they meant, didn’t know what they were for, but he had seen them in his head for as long as he could remember. Transferring those symbols to metal and wood, after all these years, was... well, it was wonderful. It was a relief. It was like he’d been tense his whole life, every muscle knotted and his teeth gritted and his eyes screwed shut, and now suddenly he was relaxing, and a strange sort of euphoric calm spread through him.

    

    Or at least, he’d always thought they were hallucinations, and that they couldn’t possibly be real. He was about to find out the ugly truth. Evil was real, demons were real, and so was magic. There was a never ending war going on, and he was about to join it. He wasn’t sure he’d call it a gift at all, and it’d take a miracle if he was going to survive.

    The Aggadeh Empire was seeking dragons. Little did Nem expect that he would come face-to-face with both in the far north city of Balon. Is he destined to become an ally of the Empire? Or its prisoner? And what is he going to do with a dragon who might turn the city into a bloodbath?

    If you would prefer to read the unedited articles in their old format for free, we have provided a list of the article titles under "chapters" below. Simply go to Wikipedia and use their search form to locate each individual article.)Chapters: The Queen of the Damned, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Memnoch the Devil, The Tale of the Body Thief, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Those Who Must Be Kept, The Vampire Armand, Blood and Gold, Marius de Romanus, Maharet and Mekare, Pandora, Jessica Miriam Reeves, Khayman, Daniel Molloy, Talamasca Caste, Merrick, Blood Canticle, Vittorio the Vampire, Théâtre des Vampires, Merrick Mayfair, Amel, Blackwood Farm, Mona Mayfair, Avicus, Santiago.

    Harshwardhana, the leader, believes they will win…Until he falls upon a sinister secret of the dark forces.Centuries later… Prithvi Sen is a regular college-going boy. His growth from childhood to adulthood has been plagued by an uncanny disease. Although medicines have it under control, Prithvi feels that the illness hasn’t revealed its truest nature yet. During his existential crisis, a drastic series of events occur and bring the most unexpected twist into his life. Could there be a link between Prithvi and the Dharmayodhas?

    For those caught in the middle, it means death. For centuries humans and dragons existed side by side in Alveria, bonded by their care of one another. But no longer. After decades with no viable eggs, humans far outnumber dragons, and the survival of the species appears bleak. The outlook for everyday humans is little better as rogue dragons raid and torment villages. Yet it’s far worse for the tamers, beaten and killed simply for serving the noble dragons. But eking by at the bottom of Alverian society isn’t any easier for seventeen-year-old Kaelan Younger. Harder still when her loyalty to the dragon crown is no secret. But when her dying mother reveals a horrifying truth about her identity, Kaelan is thrust into a world for which she is ill prepared. Faced with a new life at the proving grounds for humans and dragons alike, Kaelan must reconcile not just her past but embrace the future laid out before her. When her responsibilities as an Akademy tamer collide with her feelings for a powerful dragon shifter, it will take everything she has to prepare for the danger threatening them both. The fate of the dragons she has sworn to serve rests in her hands.

    But there is treachery afoot, and Cyrus's life is in danger. When Darius, dispossessed prince of the Royal House of Parsa, tries to save the King of Kings, he is arrested and falsely condemned for treason.In a fast paced tale of love, betrayal, war and revenge, Blood of Kings sweeps the reader up on an epic journey from the mud brick cities of Ancient Persia to the burning heart of Pharaoh's Egypt.Packed full of dramatic and authentic battle scenes, it recreates the sweat, blood and fear of ancient warfare, as Persia smashes Egypt's army and brings the reign of the Pharaohs to a violent end.But it is also a book that will delight Herodotus fans, bringing the ancient Greek historian's characters to life like never before, as it follows the doomed 'lost army of Cambyses' into the Libyan Desert, marching towards a fate that would baffle archaeologists for millennia to come.

    A Valdemar story about a character who does not become a Herald--he has other talents.This story originally appeared in the anthology UNDER THE VALE in December 2011.

    Eight years ago, he lost his wife and child at the hands of a killer known only as Mr. Gray. But now, Mr. Gray is back, and with strange powers that allow him to appear anywhere at will. Scott must protect a new family – a woman and her autistic son – from the madman's attacks. All they can do is run...and try to find the secret behind THE MERIDIANS.

     This Box set contains books 6 to 10 of the fantasy saga, The Way to Freedom. Save 40% versus buying the individual books! Book 6: The Searchers Book 7: The Whisperer Book 8: The Deceiver Book 9: The Great Game Book 10: The Gathering

    

     But the danger is only beginning. What seems like a simple bodyguard job will see Conryu dragged halfway across the world and into a war between monsters. If that isn’t bad enough, the La Fey Society is mixed up with the mad emperor. After surviving the war it’s time for some fun and games. At least until a group of terrorists show up intent on killing all the contestants. Despite Conryu’s best efforts, The Le Fay Society is on the verge of freeing their leader. If they succeed, all Hell is going to break loose. The Aegis of Merlin Omnibus Vol. 2 contains four complete novels: Escape the Dragon Czar, Wrath of the Dragon Czar, The Four Nations Tournament & Death Incarnate.

    

    This short story is the beginning of Shadow's. It tells of the events that lead Sean to meeting his mentor, the man who trained Sean to be a better fighter and gave him a rigid code and set of ethics to live by. Who taught Sean that the gift he had been given was meant to be used. Whose teachings brought Sean a sense of peace and acceptance, being the first person to whom Sean had ever told the truth about him and his past. This short story takes place before Sean became Shadow, back when he was known more simply as 'The Jersey Devil', a mysterious killer who left no clues and was never caught. Warning: While there is no sex in this story, there is a fair amount of violence and what some may find to be troubling ethics.